Boaters Need The Pleasure Craft Operating Card Starting Tuesday

Under new rules from Transport Canada that come into effect on Tuesday, those who
are caught driving a motorized watercraft without the Pleasure Craft Operating Card
risk being fined $250 or more.

Municipal and provincial police will enforce the new rules.

Boaters must pass a test on topics such as how to share waterways, use safety equipment
and respond to emergencies in order to get the card. They will then be required
to carry it on board their watercraft at all times.

Private companies are conducting training courses, administering the testing and
issuing the operator cards. Transport Canada has posted a list of approved companies
on its website.

The test includes 36 multiple-choice questions. Boaters have to answer 75 per cent
of the questions correctly to obtain the boat operator's card, which is good for
life.

One of the Transport Canada-approved test providers is BOATERexam.com®. The
company charges $49.95 to take the test.

"We are encouraging boaters to get certified now so they are legal, but also so
they avoid paying more in the future as the price will likely increase," Robert
Dupel, a company representative, wrote in a press release.

Experts believe less than half of Canada's 10 million recreational boaters have
obtained the Pleasure Craft Operator Card, as of last week.